


Snow in October

by PeachBelle



Category: Young Justice, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Frostbite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-30
Updated: 2013-11-30
Packaged: 2018-01-03 01:43:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1064209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeachBelle/pseuds/PeachBelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set about a year after Season 2.  Wally is dead and Artemis finds comfort in her old childhood friend. Cameron feels used, not that he minds all the time, but he wishes there was more. One-Shot, written as a gift-fic for my RP Group's Cameron.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Snow in October

He knew he was being used as a rebound or a sex toy or whatever word you wanted to use. He was used to never being wanted – by his father, by his friends, his employers. It didn’t exactly surprise him when she came to him, tears coating her lips with a salty taste that he would try to ignore. But it hurt, a lot, that he was just that to her.

Wally had died over a year ago, but Artemis was still understandably upset. Well, Cam didn’t really think it was understandable anymore, but he had to say it was because he loved her and she could do no wrong. Still, it sucked. Majorly.

He should feel happy. She spent the night with him more days than not, and she smiled at him and her smile was only for him. Not Wally. He was here, and Wally was gone. He wanted to believe that she was finally understanding that and sometimes, when it was dark outside and she was curled up against his chest with only the sheets separating their bodies and the sound of a clock somewhere in the hallway ticking, he actually believed that she was happy to be there with him. That she believed in him.

It was cold for October, but then again the cold never bothered Cam anyways, even when he was powered down and could resemble a normal human being. They had been visiting her mother in Gotham, and Artemis had apparently forgotten that it could snow in Connecticut during October. Therefore her attire consisted of a sweater and some jeans. Cam never wore a coat except for appearance sake in the winter when people would give him weird looks otherwise. He gladly gave her his, finding it incredibly hot how she looked in his clothes. There was something about a girl wearing your stuff that just made it look great, like girls wearing their boyfriend’s football jerseys in high school.

They were walking back to the train with Artemis’ arm linked into his. They were getting a few looks, especially since there was an inch of snow on the ground and Cam was wearing a t-shirt. It was hot enough for him wearing a coat, wearing a sweater under a coat would have been torture.

“Your mom seemed in a good mood,” Cameron broke the silence and scanned the ground for black ice. It didn’t really bother him, but he didn’t want Artemis to slip. She was a Cali girl now, after all, and snow was pretty uncommon. Of course, she was starting to get used to the cold –his apartment was only set to 65 for her comfort and even then she still bundled up in a sweatshirt.  But as he looked down, Artemis was looking straight ahead taking her steps without fear. It was one of the reasons he was crazy about her, she knew what she wanted. Strong women were hot, no matter what other people said.

“Yeah, she did. Remind me to send her pictures of Lian on Halloween, because we all know Jade will keep forgetting and then by the time Christmas comes around she won’t be bothered,” Artemis laughed and Cameron smiled. She didn’t laugh nearly enough.  “Oh maybe we can dress up your house for Halloween. I mean, it would be the coolest house on the block. Can you imagine Tommy as like one of those fake scarecrows or whatever that sit in the chair out front and scare the crap out of people?”

Cameron laughed at the image. He could probably get Tommy to do it, but stopping Tommy from stealing all of the kid’s candy would be a problem.  “So, we’re doing Halloween together then?” Artemis never _told_ him when she was coming over. They never really had plans far in advance. It was usually a quick text asking what the other was doing or Artemis would just zeta over to the Star and burst into the house wanting some comfort. At the beginning it was just a lot of crying, and then a lot of sex. Cam didn’t mind, really, but when she went from crying about Wally to riding the popsicle it was a bit jarring.

Artemis’ stride hesitated just for a moment, something Cam noticed because he noticed everything about her.  “Why wouldn’t we?” She asked, her voice small. He felt a sharp pain of guilt. Was it his imagination that she was using him? Maybe she actually _did_ care, and now he was the jerk that was doing the whole questioning bullshit. “I’m sorry, I just assumed I didn’t know you had plans?”

Cameron gulped and pulled her arm closer to him, giving her a quick kiss on her temple where her hair met the side of her forehead.  “No, I don’t have plans, sorry, dumb thing to say,” They fell back into step, quiet now. Now Cam really felt like an idiot.

It was a few blocks before she finally spoke to him again. Cam had predicted she would, he knew her better than she thought he did. If Artemis was a subject in school he probably would have aced his tests.

“What did you _mean_ by asking if we were hanging out,” She stopped, turned and faced him. His first instinct was to brush her off, make a joke about it, but Artemis was _serious_. He didn’t like that look. She was smarter than him, and he knew no matter how he answered this, he was going to be walking home alone.

Artemis was tough like that. She didn’t let anyone in, even Cam himself. He wondered if Wally even got past her shell. Probably. He was a dick.

They were standing in the middle of the sidewalk, people were angrily pushing past them, and Cam glanced around.  “Maybe we should-“

“No. Cam, don’t,” Her voice was firm, demanding. She didn’t care if people were angry and pushing past them. She looked _normal_ in this cold weather. Cameron was the one who was getting all the looks and glares. Typical.

“I just…I dunno. You do your own thing. And don’t get me wrong, I like your thing,” He gently pulled her aside to a bench, knowing she’d budge now that he was actually talking.  “It’s hot when you come bursting in my room and all, but it’s so unpredictable. I never know if you’re going to need me,” He caught her glare, definitely the wrong thing to say.  “Not need me, I didn’t mean that,” She had already turned away, offended.  “I mean, it would just be nice to know that you’re coming over. That I’m not an afterthought,” He winced as his own words.

She stayed silent, her face pointed straight ahead and refusing to look at him. He sighed and leaned back against the bench, putting his palms to his forehead and stared up at the gray, cloudy, sky. It was going to snow again soon, Cameron could feel it.

It made sense that he had cold powers. No one really liked the snow. Sure, it was fun the first time you got to see it. Sometimes it looked pretty. But people hated it after a week. They complained about how it destroyed their plans, how it was too cold. They couldn’t wait for summer, when you could sit outside and go on vacation. ‘I only like snow on Christmas’, people would say with a glare to the outside.  ‘It’s pretty when you’re inside’ or simply ‘Fuck the snow’. That was always Cameron’s favorite. It just made sense. No one _really_ wanted him for longer than a few days.

“What do you _mean_ ,” Artemis finally spoke up, snapping Cameron away from his own thoughts. He looked over at her to see her gray eyes staring intently at him.

“I just wish you treated me like your boyfriend and not the guy you’re…” Using to get over Wally. “sleeping with,” He chose his words carefully. He wanted to tell her he wasn’t Wally, but he knew that would get him a slap in the face and a potentially angry Artemis for a few weeks. Besides, she went through a lot, she didn’t need to feel guilty about anything.

Artemis’ glare softened slightly and she exhaled, allowing puffs of condensation to release from her lips. “So you want me to be your girlfriend?” She spoke slowly, as if testing the words. “Cam I—“

“I know,” He interrupted and stared down at the ground intently. He was getting nervous, and when he got nervous sometimes he began to refreeze. He hadn’t done it in a while, it was like bed wetting as a child. You outgrow it, but you still get nervous that it might happen. They were still in public, and he definitely couldn’t show people his true self.

“I love you Artemis, you know that. I’ve loved you since we were kids, and I know you don’t—can’t feel the same now. But….well, I do. And sometimes it sucks being seco—being me. And I love when you come over, it’s great and we have a lot of fun but I also like knowing that I’m not just a distraction. I mean, you called me up an hour before we left to visit your mom’s today. Which is fine, but like, it would have been nicer to know this three days ago so I could get excited to see you and know that this is what happens when you have a relationship,” Cam felt stupid, and he could feel his shoes getting smaller as his toes began to freeze. God, not right now.

“Cam…” Artemis placed her hand on his. She was so warm. So soft despite the callouses on her fingers from using a bow. He had traced those callouses last week while she slept.  “I’m sorry, you’re right,” She said quietly. “I need….I need to move on and more importantly I need to stop using you as well—like you said, as a distraction,” He felt guilty as she spoke. Who was he to tell her to move on? It had only been a year, and these things took time, right?

“Will you let me try again?” She phrased it as a question, but they both knew that Cam was head over heels and would do anything for her. It really was pathetic.

“Of course,” He looked up to her, acting surprised. She smiled back at him with a coy grin that reminded him of her sister but he knew if he said that aloud she would really not be happy. “So does this mean you’ll be my girlfriend? Like, for real and stuff?”

She laughed and nodded.  “Only if you let me have a drawer at your place.”

He’d let her have the whole house if that was what it would take for her to be his. He didn’t say it, but he would let Artemis Crock have anything she ever wanted. He tightened his hand around hers and pulled them both up to a stand.  “That’s a promise, Artemis,” He pulled her into him, wrapping his hands around her waist as he kissed her. Whatever had frozen was now melted, signaling just how relaxed he really was with her.

She kissed him back, just as eagerly.

When they finally parted, Artemis moved into a hug, staying there for a moment against his t-shirt. He shut his eyes and smiled – really smiled. Maybe this would all work out…somehow.

**Author's Note:**

> This is dedicated to Cassie/Cameron/Dinah in my RP group (yjroleplay on tumblr!).


End file.
